Yesterday, I tagged Debbie’s Six Word Saturday thinking Friday was Saturday. So, I’m posting another on Saturday for Debbie’s Six Word Saturday challenge.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your weekend. Here’s to sunny days ahead. (Our weekend is cloudy & rainy). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Uniola paniculata, aka sea oats, seaside oats, araña, and arroz de costa, is a tall subtropical grass which is an important component of coastal sand dune and beach plant communities in the southeastern United States of America, eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean Islands. The Sea Oats help protect beaches and property from damage due to high winds, storm surges, and tides. Interestingly, it provides food and habitat for birds, small animals, and insects.
Sea Oats are a crucial component of the area’s hurricane defense strategy. They have helped to thwart damage from tropical storms. (Tropical storms and hurricanes typically hit the Myrtle Beach area before or more so than in our area of the Carolinas.)
Sea Oats are a protected grass in several states along the southeastern Atlantic coast. Think twice before picking or disturbing Sea Oats, that action is punishable by fine in Georgia, South Carolina, and Northern Carolina.
Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-3) Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens & Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 1) Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina; 2-3) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Happy Friday! We’re already nine (9) days into 2026. Does it feel any different? We started off the new year at the beach, which was new, especially for Coleman. His first week back to school is almost over (today’s last for week). (He had wanted to stay longer at the beach, but that wasn’t possible.)
On Tuesday, we went on a Dolphins Sightseeing Tour Cruise in Murrells Inlet. We checked in and then it was time to hurry up and wait. Always best to arrive early, after that all you can do is Pull up a Seat and wait. Coleman got a little restless waiting and waiting. No matter how short the wait time is, it seems like forever. Included below are a variety of Pull up a Seat options while waiting for the cruise and a few on the boat waiting for the cruise to get out of the inlet and the dolphins to appear.
Crazy Sister Marina Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. I hope all y’all’s holidays were wonderful and filled with love and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Happy 2026 Everyone! This week I’m allowing y’all to make your own choices for the Which Ways Challenge. I’d love to see your first Which Ways for 2026. I’ll be sharing our very first 2026 images this week.
First 2026 image taken at 12:05 am
The next images were taken while walking along the beach with their first steps into the Atlantic Ocean.
Coleman, Sophia, & their mom Walking along the beach Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Crazy Sister Marina is a locally-owned boat tour company located in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Their boat tours let you sit back and relax while appreciating the unbelievable views of the Grand Strand in Murrells Inlet. When you take one of their scenic cruises you might see dolphins, fish, birds, and/or sea turtles. ( The day we took our cruise, the dolphins were barely coming out of the water before diving back down below the surface.)
Crazy Sister Marina offers several different types of cruises to explore whatever your heart desires. Whether you what to take a fishing cruise, an incredible Eco cruise, or a Dolphin cruise they can assist you the most amazing and pleasurable experience ever. They also offer a variety of specialty cruises like 4th of July Firework Cruise, October Murrells Inlet ghost cruise, or celebration of life ceremonies and memorial services; they will provide the tour service that meet your needs or desires and provide you with the utmost respect and service beyond your expectations.
Dolphins 🐬Crazy Sister Murrells Inlet, South Carolina Crazy Sister Marina
Coleman thoroughly enjoyed the Dolphin tour cruise we went on and would definitely go again if and when he could.
God Bless. Happy 2026! Happy New Year! Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
We spent the week before New Year’s down south at Myrtle Beach along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We had so many activities going on each day that we didn’t spend all day every day on the beach, but the days Coleman and I spent on the beach were beautiful amazing memory making enjoyable times of the week. We saw an enormous amount of birds at the beach both in Murrells Inlet and by our resort in Myrtle Beach.
On the Friday before we left we saw a tremendous amount of Ring-Billed Gulls flying to and fro as well as walking on the sand by the seashore. Ring-Billed Gulls (aka Larus delawarensis) are medium-sized gulls native to Northern America. They breed in Canada and the northern Contiguous United States. They winter mainly in the United States of America and northern Mexico.
The Ring-Billed Gull’s breeding habitat is near lakes, rivers, or the coast across the majority of Canada and the northern United States. (We live in the Southeastern United States). These seagulls can also be seen in several North American parking lots.
Ring-Billed Gulls
The Ring-Billed Gulls are migratory with the majority of them moving southward towards the Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico), and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and northern Mexico.
The Ring-Billed Gulls we saw were numerous and fascinating to watch. You could walk pretty close to them before they took flight. They tended to stay in groups, surprisingly (to us) in groups of three.
Even though they forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking, or wading; they also steal food from other birds or even people’s unattended food. Some beachgoers consider the Ring-Billed Gulls pests due to their willingness to steal unguarded food on crowded beaches. (We didn’t notice them stealing any food while we were walking alongside the ocean waters or anyone annoyed with the beautiful gulls.) Most were merely enjoying the beautiful day, and time with family along the coastal beaches.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Atlantic Ocean; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take care of yourselves. Get Outdoors and enjoy nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Good Day Everyone! I am a week late on my Nostalgia post, however, it was not Intentional to do so. I had intended to post about what brought Nostalgia to mind last week, but it fell by the wayside. Enjoying the last week of 2025 at the beach with family was more important.
While on our mini vacay at Myrtle Beach, we took an adventure south down to Murrells Inlet.Our Murrells Inlet adventure was Intentionally planned ahead and also sparked a bit of Nostalgia. You might wonder why Murrells Inlet would spark Nostalgia within me. You see, back in the early 1970’s my family took a trip down to Murrells Inlet with my dad’s sister and her family. We had some similarities, some differences between then and now. Memories are vague, but my dad’s old photographs (in my possession) bring those times back to life.
Alex Marina Murrells Inlet 1972
This past week we enjoyed Nature’s beauty on the water and on the beach. We had an amazing afternoon/early evening on the water on the Crazy Sister Marina’s boat. [Same pier, different boat]. I have pictures with my cousins and family on a Fishing boat for an afternoon of deep sea fishing. [Then a Fishing Boat, Now a Sightseeing Boat].
Back to the here and now, the Crazy Sister Marina was Full of boats, the sky was Full of birds, my view of the waters were Empty/Void of what we were supposed to be seeing. After all, we were on a Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise and I wasn’t able (nighttime visibility impairment) to see the Dolphins like Coleman and others were able to see.
Empty Boats Empty BoatsFull DockEmpty Inlet Empty BoatsEmpty BoatFull MarinaSky Full of Grackles Empty Inlet Waters Full MarinaMurrells Inlet, South Carolina
The afternoon enjoyment was Intentional and was not Empty, but Full of excitement, anticipation, and an Abundance of Amazement and Wonderful memories.
Cameras: 1-4) Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 5-14) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens & Altura CPL Filter attachment.
Location: 1-4) Alex Marina; 5-14) Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take some time to be Adventurous. Enjoy time making memories with Family and friends. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
We a well into the beginning of 2026. Coleman started back to school today, so now I have a few minutes to reflect on the past couple of weeks.
Hopefully y’all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s Day. Ours was truly an eventful Christmas holiday extravaganza. Of course it was exciting to watch Coleman receive his Gifts on Christmas Day, which he totally enjoyed. We kept telling him beforehand that he had to listen and behave or “Santa” wouldn’t bring any toys. You know what? “Santa” brought a few toys anyway. Coleman mostly received new clothes, which he was just as excited to get especially his new shoes.
Pre-Opening of Gifts Opening of Gifts beginColeman’s excitement Coleman’s new Cowboy Boots
Setting aside the Gifts, we decided to not let 2025 Dwindle away being bored at home. Instead, we chose to leave our little town and go on an amazing Adventure.
Where did we go on our big Adventure? Coleman’s mom was thinking about going to the mountains. Coleman wanted to go to the Beach. So, where do you think we went on our little Adventure? Yep, you’re right, we went to the Beach.
As 2025 was Dwindling away, we packed our bags, loaded up the car and headed out of town for our mini vacay Adventure. Sorry, we didn’t get any pictures of the car all loaded up, but we (I mean I) began snapping plenty of photos from the moment we arrived, all through our many Adventurous activities, and all throughout our entire mini vacation.
Arriving, Checking in, & Checking out our surroundings.
After checking in and bringing everything (and I mean everything) into our room for the week (actually six days), Coleman and I decided to head down to the Beach. We did not want to Dwindle our time away inside the room for one minute longer. Instead, we wanted to begin enjoying the Gift of Adventure immediately.
Coleman’s very first time at a Beach. First time seeing the Atlantic Ocean. First time his feet touched the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D.
Locations: 1st 4) Cramerton, North Carolina; Rest, 5-8) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. It’s been an Amazing Adventurous beginning to 2026. We didn’t let 2025 Dwindle away. We enjoyed the Gift of Time away together. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Ninth Floor; Captains Quarters; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hoping you do not experience tumultuous times in the days ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Monday afternoon, our first day of our mini vacay, we drove down to Murrells Inlet to go out on a sightseeing boat run by Crazy Sister Marina. We were supposed to be able to see some dolphins, however, my eyesight isn’t very good in the evenings, so I wasn’t able to see what others (including Coleman) was seeing (more on that at another time).
Instead I’ll show you a few of the Crazy Sister Marina windows, both on shore and on the boat.
We are in our first week of 2026; what a week it has been. We spent the week in Myrtle Beach relaxing, “sightseeing,”visiting various attractions, and enjoying time on the beach. [More about those activities to come in future posts].
For the first Monday Portrait of 2026, let’s check out the Southern Stingrays At Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This was Coleman’s first trip to the beach, he was extremely excited about being at the beach, as well as seeing the many different species of “fish” at Ripley’s Aquarium.
Let’s take a look now at the fascinating Southern Stingrays …
Southern Stingrays
The Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus) is a whiptail stingray which is typically foundin tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from as far north as New Jersey all the way down to southern Brazil.
Even though we didn’t actually see them in the Atlantic Ocean, we (especially Coleman) were thrilled to see & pet them at Ripley’s Aquarium.
Coleman viewing the Southern Stingrays
It is adapted for life on the sea bed, as you can see here they swim very close to the bottom most of the time, but not always.
Southern Stingrays lying on the sea bed
Southern Stingrays are nocturnal predators, they spray water from their mouths or flap their fins vigorously to disturb the surface in order to expose hidden prey.
A Southern Stingray on the Aquarium sea bed.
Hypanus americanus exhibit wave-like locomotion using their pectoral fins. The wave-like locomotion allowed them to escape predators, forage efficiently, and generally maneuver quickly.
The Southern Stingrays were exciting and interesting to watch swimming and foraging in the aquarium at Ripley’s Aquarium.
Location: Ripley’s Aquarium; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. May you have many exciting and memorable adventures. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Scyphozoa are exclusively marine class of the phylum Cnidaria. They are known to be referred to as true jellyfish. Currently, there are approximately 200 known species found in marine environments worldwide.
They are characterized by a cell-shaped body (Medusa) that lack a velum (a muscular membrane). Their bodies are mostly composed of a jelly-like substance, and lack a head, skeleton, and specialized respiratory or excretory organs.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura ND Filter attachment.
Location: Goldfish Realm; Ripley’s Aquarium; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take an adventure. Observe the Wonders of God’s Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Pull Up a Seat Challenge is hosted on Friday’s by XingfuMama at XingfuMama.blog. This will be my first Pull Up a Seat post for 2026. You may find out more about the Pull Up a Seat Challenge by clicking here.
A & W Restaurant
Pull Up a Seat with Rooty
This A & W had an area set up where you could take a photo with “Rooty, The Great Root Bear.”
Coleman with Rooty
Coleman had to kneel on a high stool chair to reach the hole to stick his head out into Rooty’s face.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour. I am posting my last 2025 Floral images (December 31,2025) as my first Flower Hour post for 2026.
Location: By Dinopark; Broadway at the Beach; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
First off, Happy 2026 Everyone! Did you stay awake to bring in the New Year? Did you watch any Fireworks? My daughter and I somehow managed to barely stay awake till midnight to see the New Year arrive. The only fireworks we say were those on the television as the annual ball dropped from New York. We did hear them in our location prior to midnight, but did not venture out anywhere in the chilly night air to watch them being shot off over the ocean.
Here are my contributions … These are a continuation of Cramerton’s Christmas Parade.
CWWC-Any Which Way with People
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Location: Parade Route; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy New Year! Take Care. Stay Safe. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
• NOTE: For next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice)
God Bless. Happy 2026! Happy New Year! Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Brian from Bushboys Worldhosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.
Here are The rules: 1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken. 2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate. 3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do 4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments 5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard
Here are mine for December …
From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):
Brachiosaurus Dinopark Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Sharkey’s Grouper Tacos These tacos bring together the rich flavors of grouper, shredded cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheese. Served in a warm flour tortilla with lettuce, topped with house-made pico de gallo, and drizzled with Chipotle mayo sauce. Sharkey’s Oceanfront Restaurant Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
God Bless. Happy New Year! Happy 2026! Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This Christmas was the very first Christmas for Sophia Ruthann Wilson; she entered into our family on December 9, 2025 at 2:47 am. Coleman is a proud big brother as can be seen from some of the photos.
Here are a “few” shots I captured to remember her First Christmas … (Sharing with my daughter’s permission).
Sophia Ruthann Wilson Very First Christmas December 24/25, 2025
“Welcome in! Let the warmth of the season fill your heart.”
On Christmas Eve, we opted to treat ourselves to dining out at a restaurant we hadn’t tried before, but had heard fantastic things about it. Where did we go? We chose to eat our Dinner (at noontime) at Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant. It turned outwe weren’t the only ones who decided that it would be a perfect time for a delicious meal.
The first thing we see as we approach the restaurant’s front doors are a couple of WelcomingChristmas Wreaths. The entrance to the restaurant was also decorated with strings of white lights, Christmas garland, and a small Christmas tree right beside the front doors.
Not only was the restaurant’s outdoor are all decked out for the holidays, but the inside was as well. The Christmas decor helped to make the environment extremely welcoming and inviting us to Pull Up a Seat and enjoy a relaxingly pleasant dining experience.
Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant
My daughter chose to have the Sirloin Tips Over Rice, Coleman had Chicken Tenders (but ended up not wanting to eat them), and I treated myself to a plate of Broiled Mahi-Mahi filet with fried okra and fried squash. They started us off with a delicious bowl of minestrone soup (it was tasty & I devoured both mine and Coleman’s since he didn’t want to eat it.) They also served us a basket of fried hush puppies, which also were pleasing to the appetite.
The food and service were exceptional. It was well worth the price the food ( especially mine) was very flavourful and mouthwatering scrumptiously delicious. I would highly recommend Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant to anyone and everyone who lives or is ever near one to go on in and delight yourselves with the tremendously appetizing food.
“Like these evergreens, may our hospitality offer strength and renewal to all who gather here.”
Location: Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hope y’all had a wonderful Holiday and have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Skywatching at Goat Island Park and Greenway … The sky was beautiful and captivating amazingly drawing attention to the Creator of all that is, was, and will be.
This week Dale has chosen a theme of A Winter’s Walk for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. Instead of just one winter walk I decided to do a combination of several different Winter Hikes which Coleman and I have taken over the years.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game.This week’s number is 226. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Looking through my photos I ran across a bench from one of our hiking adventures I don’t think I’ve shared before, so I thought I would share it today.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Festive or Bland. With so many challenges seeking Festive images I chose to go Bland instead for this week’s Fun Foto Challenge.
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with vehicles — This CWWC will go live on Friday 12/26 just past midnight EST.
The Wild Potato Vine is a perennial, deciduous, tenacious flowering vine similar to Morning Glory and Sweet potato vine. It is native to North America and grows primarily in South East Canada to Central and Eastern United States of America. It is showy with large heart-shaped leaves, purple stems, and white flowers with pink to purple centers.
An interesting fact is that the Wild Potato Vine roots are used by Native Americans for poultices, infusions, read for treatment of a variety of medical problems. The roots can be eaten cooked, but raw, are a purgative. (A purgative has a strong laxative effect.)
Embden (Emden) Geese are a German breed of domestic geese recognized primarily for their pure white plumage and striking bright blue eyes. ( I know it’s hard to see their blue eyes from the picture, but they are blue) The Embden is one of the oldest and most popular breeds around the world.
These Embden Geese reside at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Children of all ages are welcome to come visit them, but trying to pet them or pick them up is not recommended. Feed for them can be purchased at an extra cost to the entrance fee.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Settings: f/5.6 • 1/100s • 70mm • ISO100
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful Christmas holiday week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These Bald Cypress trees are resilient and have the ability to grow in very wet conditions, even standing in water. These are grown near the South Fork Catawba River in Riverside Park and Greenway.
The Cypress cones are the reproductive structures of Cypress trees that develop from the tree’s flowers. What you see here are the female cones, often called seed cones. The little red droplet on the bottom cone looks like resin which is characteristic from a cypress tree.
The Cluster of Bald Cypress cones you see is a perfect example of an infructescence. These cones are actually modified seed cones, and once they mature, they’ll release seeds. It’s interesting to learn how plants develop these unique structures to disperse their seeds. The mature cones contain seeds that are a very important food source for local wildlife, including squirrels, waterfowl, and other birds.
First off, how about some Blue on Blue in the Gulf of Mexico (now called Gulf of America) from a cruise I took back in 2020. We were in the middle of the Gulf heading towards Cozumel, Mexico. It’s amazing how except for the other ships at sea, all one sees for miles and miles in practically Blue on Blue.
When the Water & Sky Meet Cobalt Blue
Now for some Winter Wonderland (this isn’t Solstice, but it is having some 🥶 Winter Wonderland Funtime.
Coleman and his mom enjoying some Funtime in the Winter Snow.
I know we are currently in December with today (the 21st) being Winter Solstice, but we don’t usually get Snow in our area until January and/or February. The top photo was take in February of 2020 & the Bottom picture was taken in January of 2022.
God Bless. Have a wonderful Winter Solstice and a fantastic week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour #11. This week she is giving us a Last Chance to share our Holiday Florals. Having already posted several Holiday Florals I dug deep into my archives to reshare some Christmas Florals with all of you.
Poinsettias are a popular Christmas floral, however, you probably don’t see this one around your everyday Christmas displays.
Euphorbia pulcherrima (Stelle di Natale) Christmas Star, Poinsettia
Let’s now take a look at a different Christmas floral known as the Christmas Berry. The Christmas Berry is a compact shrub with dark green elliptic leaves, but are crimson red when young in early spring. The shrub tolerates moderate shade and grows in well drained soil.
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ P x fraseri
Next, we are admiring a succulent known as the Christmas Kalanchoe, a popular house plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in colors like red, white, pink, and orange. It is a succulent that thrives in bright, indirect light and well-drained soil, making it a great festive gift for the holidays.
And finally, we are changing colours from red to green for our Christmas florals. This plant was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway’s garden at the Stables Entrance. It is a Helleborusorientalis, often referred to as Christmas Rose, or Lenten Rose. It is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen, clumping perennial in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
Helleborus orientalis Aka Christmas Rose, Hellebore, Lenten Rose
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Tina from travelsandtrifles is the host this week for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge. Tina is giving us the opportunity for one Last Chance to share photos we have taken and loved throughout 2025 and hadn’t had an opportunity to share for one challenge or another.
Here are some of my favorites from this year that I believe I haven’t as yet shared with y’all …
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Winter, Summer or Both. Lately our weather has been so cold and extremely windy that it feels like winter. Yesterday morning our low was down to 14°, which for me, extremely freezing weather with the wind chill making it feel even colder. Our lowest temperatures of the day are when I need to wait with Coleman at the school bus stop. His bus always runs late, so I am always chilled to the bone by the time I get back to the house.
Enough talk about our current “Wintry” weather conditions and let’s move on to showing you some images from last Winter.
Here are my contributions for this week …
Northern Mockingbird February 2025Footprints in the Snow 02/2025Snow/ice covered plants 02/2025Deer eyeing me December 2024Christmas Lights December 2024Coleman enjoying the Snow ❄️ 02/2025Would you go barefoot in the Snow/ice? January 2025Coleman entering Goat Island 12/2024Coleman by the South Fork Catawba River December 2024Nativity Scene with extra figurine (aka Coleman) 12/2024CFFC – Looking Back Upon Winter
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. — Part 2 which will go live on Friday 12/19 just past midnight EST.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 